Meiji Cube Production Technology

This technology provides innovative new answer which solves many problems consumers experienced using regular infant formula. Meiji has developed cube production technology that greatly enhances the convenience and usability of infant formula.

Helping Make Childcare Easier

There are common problems that all people who prepare infant formula experience including measurement mistakes and spilling powder. We set out to help avoid these problems by introducing a completely new type of infant formula in the form of easy to dissolve solid cubes.

In order to ensure the solubility of the cubes and to prevent fat release from the solid, a low compression pressure was necessary. By compressing the powder at 2MPa, humidifying the surface and then drying, we found all our criteria had been met in a cube which contains absolutely no additives, is strong enough to resist crumbling and yet readily dissolves in hot water.

By humidifying the surface of the compressed milk, bridging structures¹ between the particles are formed in the microstructure of the surface region of the cubes. This results in a hardness that resists breaking or crumbling during transport.
Furthermore, it was very important to be able to control the bridging structures of crystalline metastasis² in order to be able to facilitate different ratios and compositions of nutrients (proteins, fats, etc.) as part of the cubes.

The photos below show cross sections of both the surface area and the interior area of the cubes. The amount of cross-linking and thus the strength of the structure resulting from humidification can clearly be seen in the cross section from the surface area.
This is the cube production process technology.

1 bridging structures: formed between particles as a result of partial dissolving of the surface particles.
2 crystalline metastasis: crystal structure (molecular arrangement) may change.

Particles near the surface of the molded cubs dissolve as a result of humidification, crosslinks form between the particles resulting in greater shape retention. The interior also becomes relatively secure to infiltration by water.